Earned Settlement Consultation Opens — Have Your Say Before 12 February
20 Nov 2025
The government has formally launched its consultation on the "earned settlement" proposal, one of the most significant changes to the UK immigration system in recent history.
What Is Being Consulted On
The consultation, titled "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement", asks for views on replacing the current automatic 5-year route to ILR with a points-based earned settlement model. The key proposals are:
- Baseline qualifying period of 10 years (up from 5) for most work visa routes
- Points-based reductions for high earners, skilled contributions, and community integration
- Longer qualifying periods (up to 15-30 years) for those with immigration breaches
- Whether there should be transitional arrangements for people already in the UK working toward settlement
The Critical Question: Transitional Arrangements
Perhaps the most important element of this consultation is whether the new rules will apply retroactively to migrants already in the UK. Many Skilled Worker visa holders who planned for ILR after 5 years could see their timeline doubled overnight without transitional protections.
The consultation specifically invites views on this question.
How to Respond
The consultation is open to anyone — individuals, employers, and organisations. It closes on 12 February 2026.
You can respond via the GOV.UK consultation page.
What You Should Do Now
- Keep tracking your absences — continuous residence requirements are expected to remain regardless of the qualifying period
- Consider responding to the consultation to share how these changes would affect you
- Seek professional advice if you are close to your current ILR eligibility date and considering whether to apply before potential rule changes in April 2026
Source: A Fairer Pathway to Settlement consultation (GOV.UK)